Burkina Faso’s military leader, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, has boldly rejected the notion that democracy is key to national development, stating that no country has achieved progress through democratic governance.
Speaking during a flag-raising ceremony at the Koulouba Palace, Traoré described his administration as a “popular, progressive revolution” rather than a democratic system. According to him, democracy leads to disorder and should not be mistaken for true freedom.
“We are not in a democracy; we are in a popular, progressive revolution,” he said. “It is false to believe that any country has developed through democracy. Democracy is only the result, not the process.”
The 37-year-old leader, who took power in a 2022 coup, emphasized that his government would continue to educate citizens about the ongoing revolution, dismissing what he called the “libertinism of action or expression” under democratic systems.
Traoré also made headlines recently for rejecting Saudi Arabia’s offer to build 200 mosques in Burkina Faso, urging the kingdom to invest instead in infrastructure that would better serve the population.
